August 19 news

Published by jwettschreck on Monday, August 19th, 2013

SLAYTON – The City of Slayton will be without water Tuesday for most of the day due to some water valves and hydrants being replaced. The water is slated to come back on around 5 p.m. Water system pressure will drop to a point that harmful bacteria could enter the water system. A precautionary water boil advisory has been issued. After the water comes back on, residents should boil their water for one minute before using for drinking or food preparation. The city will inform residents when the boiling advisory is removed. For more information, contact city hall at 836-8534.

SLAYTON – The Murray County Central School District is once again honoring veterans Nov. 11 with a program at the school, and is looking for pictures of local veterans for slide show to be presented during the program. They ask that pictures of veterans be brought to the school, along with name, branch of the service and the conflict he or she served in. The photos will be scanned and returned. Please contact the school at 507-836-6184 with any questions.

LAKE PARK, Iowa - Habitat for Humanity hosted a groundbreaking for its next project Sunday at the site of its upcoming build at 1204 Clayton Street in Lake Park. The partner family, members of the Northwest Iowa Habitat For Humanity Board and local officials were in attendance. The partner family will complete 350 hours of sweat equity in helping to build the home and will repay the no-profit mortgage over about 20 years. Plans call for the home’s basement to be dug soon after the groundbreaking, so construction can get underway. Volunteer build teams are being formed for the project. Anyone who would like to be on a team or sponsor one should contact Richard Hildebrand at (712) 330-2606.

HULL, Iowa — A Hull man is behind bars after being charged with sex abuse of a victim under 12. The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office reports that they arrested 46-year-old Todd Bonestroo of Hull on Friday and charged him with Second Degree Sexual Abuse. The arrest stemmed from an investigation involving an incident where Bonestroo is alleged to have committed a sex act with a victim under the age of 12 at a rural home near Hull.

MILFORD, Iowa - A local convenience store is changing hands. Cooperative Energy Company has purchased the Boji Junction convenience store at the intersection of highways 71 and 86 on the north edge of Milford. The company took over management of the store this past Monday.

Cooperative Energy also owns and operates Jackrabbit Junction in Sibley and Interstate Cenex in Worthington, along with a diesel and lubricant delivery system the company recently opened just north of Spencer. The company also owns the East Lyon Cooperative in Little Rock and Lyon County Coop Oil. Cooperative Energy General Manager Brian Dreessen says there will be no physical change to Boji Junction.

DOON, Iowa - The Lyon County Sheriff's Department is investigating four business burglaries that occurred sometime between midnight and 5:30 a.m. on August 16. All four burglaries happened in Doon: Corner Cafe, Doon Steakhouse, DJ's Service Station and Hiller Lumber. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office.

YELLOW MEDICINE COUNTY - The Yellow Medicine County Sheriff's Office and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Friday the investigation into a shooting incident in Clarkfield on Tuesday has been passed on to the BCA.

During a meeting between Yellow Medicine County Sheriff Bill Flaten, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and the BCA on Thursday, the decision to have the BCA handle the investigation was made because of the multijurisdictional nature of the incident and "to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest," a news release from the Sheriff's Office said.

The incident in question took place between DCI agents and the subject of an interview, who eventually produced a handgun that discharged during a struggle. The BCA said Friday the person being interviewed, a 34-year-old woman from Clarkfield, pointed the gun at herself and the gun went off after an officer and the woman engaged in a struggle.

This incident took place as agents from the DCI and a Brookings police officer were conducting an interview related to an ongoing investigation of two sets of human remains which were discovered Nov. 2, 2012, in Deuel County in South Dakota, the BCA said.

The woman has not been charged, and authorities continue to evaluate possible charges. BCA agents have completed initial interviews with the woman and with law enforcement involved in the incident.

The YMC Sheriff's Office was providing assistance during the interview and the ensuing incident. No one was injured and no law enforcement discharged their weapons during the altercation.

MINNESOTA - Minnesota landed a couple of big names to help the state promote its new health insurance exchange.

MNsure announced Sunday that its new marketing campaign will feature Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. They’ll be encouraging Minnesotans to visit the online marketplace where they can purchase health insurance beginning October 1st.

The company handling the marketing is BBDO Proximity. MPR reports creative director Brian Kroening said the idea was to find someone who was recognizable and unique to Minnesota, saying of Paul and Babe: “They were easy to work with.”

The slogan for the campaign is “Minnesota, land of 10,000 reasons to get health insurance.” Clips from the television spots show Paul in need of health care after accidents sledding or water skiing.

The $9 million cost of the campaign is covered by federal funding.

The new health care law requires virtually all Americans to purchase health insurance by Jan. 1st or face a tax penalty. In announcing its campaign, MNsure said the website that goes live in October will help residents select a plan and see if they qualify for tax credits.

The Star Tribune reports the need for educating Americans about the health care law is great: a recent poll found nearly 40 percent don’t understand the law.